On the day Son Heung-min (Tottenham) finally secured his first victory, football fans were not entirely happy.

The Sun reported on the 22nd (Korean time) that "Tottenham has finally ended a 17-year trophy drought. However, the match content was subpar. On social media, it was referred to as 'the worst final ever.'"

Tottenham secured victory by defeating Manchester United 1-0 in the 2024-2025 UEFA Europa League final held at San Mames in Bilbao, Spain. The only goal of the match came from an awkward finish by Brennan Johnson in the 42nd minute, as a ball deflected off opponent defender Luke Shaw and made its way into the net via Johnson.

With this victory, Tottenham lifted a trophy for the first time in 17 years since the 2008 League Cup and returned to the European stage for the first time in 41 years since the 1984 UEFA Cup. They also secured a UEFA Champions League ticket, redeeming the disappointing season where they finished 17th in the Premier League with just one match.

It was a moment of great emotion for Son Heung-min. It was the first trophy he lifted in 10 years since joining Tottenham and 15 years after stepping onto the professional stage in Hamburg. After the match, he said, "This is the scene I have always dreamed of. Today is the happiest day of my life."

However, the reaction to the match itself was quite different. Criticism started from the only scoring moment. It was far from sharp attacking developments or organized movements. Pape Sarr's ambiguous cross hit Luke Shaw's arm and bounced, barely grazing Johnson's toes before crossing the goal line.

After the opening goal, Tottenham chose to defend. They dropped their line deep and implemented a compact defense overall. The attack was virtually halted, and Manchester United's ineffective offensive continued. According to football statistics service Opta, Tottenham managed just three shots in 90 minutes, with a ball possession rate of 27.7% and only 115 successful passes. This is the lowest figure for a Europa League final since the 2009-2010 season.

The Sun assessed that "Both teams reached the final, but their performances fell far short of expectations. While the trophy was everything for Tottenham fans, for neutral fans, this final lacked both excitement and quality." It added that the only noteworthy highlight was the scene where Micky van de Ven stopped Rasmus Hojlund's header.

Social media reactions were also lukewarm. Comments mixed with sarcasm and ridicule included, "This was the most boring final I've ever seen," "The worst since the last episode of 'Game of Thrones,'" and "I took overtime off to watch this, and now I want to go back to the office."

Famous broadcaster Piers Morgan also expressed his blunt opinion. He criticized, "This was the worst among European competition finals. Both teams have been a mess all season, and the performance was a shock. Does it make sense to qualify for the UCL with such performance? Tottenham was dreadful as usual, and Manchester United was at a shameful level."

Manchester United legend Michael Owen also left a harsh assessment. He said, "It was difficult to see either team consolidate passes more than three times. The level was unbelievable," adding further criticism. Former Tottenham player Paul Robinson criticized Coach Postecoglou's strategy of completely giving up the match. He noted, "The performance was frustrating, and the tactics were overly defensive."

However, the outcome overshadows everything. Despite the poor performance, Tottenham lifted the trophy, and Son Heung-min finally tasted the joy of his first career victory. Football ultimately remembers the winners. For Tottenham, this day became one they would never forget.

[OSEN]